The Bangaan Flu AKA Penelo's Advice
by Basched
Summary: Sequel to my fic Knight Nurse. Basch returns to Archadia to ask the advice of a friend. Basch/Ashe and Penelo/Vaan mentions only. Basch/Penelo friendship.


_Author's Note: This is another story, but it was supposed to be the ending to my fic Knight Nurse. KN was too long and this one still retains its original humorous intent…so I thought it best to separate it. _

_Yes, oh my gosh….I put it as Basch/Penelo….but only because of the friendship. This is a purely Basch/Ashe and Penelo/Vaan hinted fic…though the friendship with Basch and Penelo is foremost. _

_Again I dedicate this to Alexiel…mainly because this was part of the Knight Nurse story and she's still awesome! Thanks also to Feens and Serenbach for reviewing the previous story. I hope Penelo comes out right for you Feens. Knows how much you loves her. (Ear plugs are at the ready for the squeeing! Okay?) _

_Well….enjoy. Thank you._

_**The Bangaan Flu (AKA Penelo's Advice) **_

"Welcome back, Basch!"

Penelo pulled on her long red coat and picked up the papers from her desk. She walked round the ebony table and past waterfall pool that over looked the palace gardens, before putting the huge pile onto a small table by the sofa.

She had been in Archadia for a better part of a month, working with Larsa through medical files and scripts, putting her extensive knowledge to good use. Having shown such a great knack for medicine and healing magics, the young blonde woman was more than happy to spare some of her time here. It meant being away from Dalmasca for a month or two, but it also meant seeing Larsa more often and it allowed Vaan his "pirating" time. She was always learning new spells and ailments for it fascinated her immensely. Larsa also showed her around the city and in particular he took Penelo to the magnificent theatres and music halls.

Penelo may have been exceptionally good at magics and treating people's illness (some reckoned her better than most official Healers) Penelo never forgot her first and true passion. Music and dancing. She still danced at home in Rabanastre, she loved listening to the street musicians and even little Filo was now showing a great talent of becoming musician herself, through Penelo's tuition.

Nothing ever stopped Penelo and her love for dancing. Except, however, for one man.

"Everything went all right, I hope?" she asked, smiling her beaming happy smile. She rushed over to him, her long black dress and red sleeveless coat swishing against her bare legs. She hugged him, squeaking slightly with joy as Basch squeezed her back. "Ashe is well now?"

"She is." he replied.

"That's great!" Penelo sighed and huffed as some of her long blonde hair fell across her face. When her puffs and blows didn't get the strands out of her eyes, she grabbed them and pinned her hair up with a single clip and with no hassle. "Why you didn't send for me, I don't know! I would have been there in flash. I know of Bangaan flu, so I would have done anything for Ashe, you know?"

"I know, Penelo." Basch slowly followed the young woman over to her plush red sofa and watched as she slumped down with a big sigh. She gestured for him to sit next to her, but he shook his head. "I shall stand for the moment, thank you. So…you know much of the Bangaan flu?"

Penelo nodded and her beautiful face scrunched up.

"It's not nice at all. It effects elderly Bangaa the most and young teens. I know that Migelo suffers from it yearly, but Vaan and I dealt with him through our time in his employ. We found out what worked well and how to treat him…" Her smile faded a little. "Sometimes it could be really unpleasant and heart wrenching. Migelo could scream and say such nasty things."

"Then it would have pained you to have seen your Queen in such a state." Basch's voice deepened with sadness.

"She was that bad?" Penelo looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock and her hands clutching at her chest.

"Aye. I thought she would die from it."

"Humes cannot die from it. Thankfully." Penelo managed to put on a small weak smile. "In fact it's extremely rare that Humes can catch it. Once diagnosed, it's quickly treatable."

"It was near two weeks 'fore Ashe recovered."

"It was?" Penelo shook her head in disbelief. "Did you try sleep spells?"

"Apparently, Mara tried it on numerous occasions, but she failed."

"How about stop spells?"

"Again, I attempted, but…"

"Her fever must have been extremely bad.…ah." Penelo rubbed her face with her hands and Basch saw her shudder with the thought of Ashe being in such a state. "She had plenty of Remedies I hope?"

"Aye, once she allowed me to give her some."

"Did you know that also some water or blizzard spells, the temperature adjusted appropriately, could have helped with the fever?"

"Penelo…you forget…."

"Aw, Basch!" Penelo gasped and leapt up from the sofa, nearly sending all her organized files scattering on the floor. She hopped over the little table and as she took hold of his gloved hands, he felt her squeeze through the metal. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you never could get the hang of those extra fiddly bits of the spells. I am can still teach you, if you want?"

"I shall decline as always." Basch smiled, giving her a courteous bow. "My magic abilities have always tended to be abrupt and a little on the haphazard side. I could never match your skills for the subtle fine-tuning of elements."

"Flattering as always, Basch! Thank you." Penelo let go of his hands and then scurried back to the sofa. Once again she offered Basch the chance to sit down, but the clanking shake of his head told her no. She then began to rifle through her files, dumping a few to the side and muttering under her breath, until she found the one she wanted. She beamed a happy smile and waved it about. "Good! I'm pleased I found this! One of Judge Zaggie's men…."

"His name is Zarga…"

"I know, but it's easier to call him Zaggie…my tongue doesn't get quite so twisted up! Any way…one of his men has come down with the mumps and none of the vaccines were making him any better. I've got something in here that might help the poor guy out! But, sorry… what about you Basch? If none of the spells worked on Ashe and you were the one to restrain her through her fever, you must have taken more than a few knocks."

"I did. But none are of consequence."

Penelo shook her head, knowing full well that the Judge Magister would always say his own health was inconsequential. He could have had broken ribs, bleeding cuts and numerous other agonizing wounds and he would always say he was fine.

"Don't lie to me, Basch." she said wagging a finger at him. "I know what it is like to have someone you know go through the fever. Last year Vaan came down with the Bangaan flu and you know how hyper he can get, especially if a hunt or adventure is involved. Well, his fever was worst I had ever seen and not even my expertise could calm him down. I was devastated…I couldn't bare to see him like that. Tomaj and Migelo helped restrain him and I guess in my hope to get through his delirium…I received some knocks and scrapes. "

"I did not know Vaan contracted it…" Basch said, though he realised it had been a long time since he had seen Vaan last. The young man was always out and about on adventures with either Balthier or his friends. Penelo went also, but sometimes she longed for just the quiet and peacefulness of Larsa's palace, or the blissful sanctuary of her home, of Dalmasca.

"Like I said, Humes do rarely catch it and they only do if it's a very virulent strain." Penelo took up a quill from the table and thoughtfully went into one of her reminiscent trances. "It was once again due to Migelo. He felt so bad for it, because in all his years of having the flu, he never passed it on to Humes before. Well, he sneezed. Vaan was carrying a whole crate of Elixirs and it just happened. Have you heard a Bangaa sneeze?"

"Indeed. On numerous occasions."

Penelo sighed and flicked the feathered quill against her cheek.

"Unfortunately for Vaan he got in the way….right in the way."

"Not good."

"No…the entire box of Elixirs were shattered and poor Vaan was covered. It took about a week before the symptoms came through, but Basch you can rest assured that once a hume contracts Bangaan flu, they can't get it again. "

"That is good news, Penelo." Basch's body, which had been stiff to attention, relaxed as if some heavy weight had been taken off him. Penelo smiled a warm grin when at last he finally came round the side of the table and sat down next to her. But what puzzled her was why he hadn't taken off his helm. One of the first things Basch ever did in her presence was take that wretched thing off.

"She won't have to go through such horridness again." said Penelo warmly. She took hold of Basch's arm and like a daughter would do to a father, hugged it close. "You can take pleasure in that knowledge."

"I suppose…."

"Don't…"I suppose!"" She said, whacking him. Then she realised that he had far too many beatings from Ashe and quickly uttered sorry. "You don't know how much you mean to Ashe."

Basch cleared his throat, mainly to cover the chuckle that nearly escaped from his mouth. Unless Penelo was pretending, Basch would have thought this clever young lady would have been the first to have noticed. Yet she did notice something else about him.

He had tried to hide it, but when she was holding on to him, she frowned a little before pulling back.

"Basch? Are you okay? You seem a little…off."

"Nothing much gets past you, does it, Penelo?" Basch smiled. Even though she could not see it, Penelo knew that it was there. "You are right. Since coming back from Dalmasca, I have not felt my complete self."

"You are injured, aren't you? Ashe hurt you?"

"Those few bruises and knocks her majesty inflicted on me are nothing, for they were done in her delirious state and she knew not what she was doing. To get her well, I accepted whatever she gave me."

"Then what is wrong?"

"I have a slight headache and some dizziness. I am certain that one of your potions will see me well again."

When working with Migelo, the old Bangaa had passed on the potion mixing skills to the young girl. Penelo made very good and potent potions, if she had the time and the resources to do so. Sure enough, at Migelo's she had made stock after stock of them and they became sought after by fiend hunters and civilians alike. It was rare that Basch ever asked her for one, but now that he had, she was a little concerned. She tried not to show it.

"Oh sure!" She said, getting up and moving over to the glass cabinet that lined the far wall of her spacious study. "It's not a prob--!"

It happened very suddenly. Basch couldn't contain it, nor was he quick enough to whip off the Judge helm.

The two sudden sneezes erupted and echoed inside his helm and the expulsions from his nose and mouth splattered on the metal and back all over Basch's face. It was not a pleasant experience, nor was it funny but Penelo was trying to stifle her laughter.

"Penelo…." Basch's voice was stern and grumpy behind his mask. Penelo was trying not to imagine how gross that sensation was. Her hand lashed over her mouth to keep the laughter in, however it didn't work.

"Oh Basch! Why didn't you take the helm off?!" she cackled, running back to him so she could take it off his head. She pulled away; reconsidering her action when she thought of what icky-ness now caked the inside of it. She then walked over to the cabinet and found some tissues for him to use. When she approached again, three more sneezes from the man sounded. "Eww! Basch! Take it off now!"

He did, groaning with disgust as the mucus and saliva seeped out and trickled over his face. Penelo scrunched her eyes up and held out a tissue for him to take. When she was sure he had time to wipe his face, when she heard him blow his nose, she opened them again.

He did not look well. His face was paler than normal and his hair was damp from perspiration.

"Oh Basch…" Penelo bit her lower lip and then handed over the potion. "That can't have been a good experience."

"No." He sniffled. "It was not."

"Caught a little cold?" she asked, trying so very hard to not image what sneezing inside that helm would have been like. In fact, she often wondered how all the helmed soldiers and Judges coped when they sneezed. "It's the right season for the bug to be going around."

He didn't reply. Basch looked down at the bottle of green luminescent potion and pulled out the stopper. He took several gulps, savouring the minty flavour as it seeped down his throat. The potion worked well, curing instantly the headache he had been suffering from, but still something wasn't right.

"Penelo…" Basch looked up at her, ignoring that she was still amused/grossed out by what had happened. "Can you tell me…is it possible for Humes to catch the Bangaan flu off other Humes?"

"What?" She was a little taken back by the question but then she shook her head and took her place next to him on the sofa. A little further away from him this time. "No. Not really."

"Define not really." There was worry in his voice.

"Humes can't catch it off other humes." she said, a slight falter in her voice. Basch noticed that her cheeks had gone a little red. "Not through blood, germs or anything like that. For instance, a Hume with the Bangaan flu can sneeze and sneeze over a non infected Hume to the end of existence and they would not catch it. Blood contamination won't transfer it either."

"But?" Basch nervously clenched a clean tissue in his hands; the metal gloves shredded it as his fingers closed around it.

Penelo backed away and shyly looked out over the gardens.

"But there is one way. It can happen, even days after the infected Hume appears fully recovered. I didn't know and well….I caught it off Vaan."

A churning fear rumbled in Basch's stomach as he recalled Garner's words two weeks ago. His friend had told him two Humes had caught the virus, but never did Basch imagine that it was Vaan and Penelo. He took another but longer gulp of the potion. He had a nasty suspicion and he hoped that Penelo wouldn't confirm his fears.

"Well…" Penelo sighed and did turn round to face Basch. It appeared that what she was going to say was personal. Far too personal for her to share with him, or so Basch assumed. "I thought Vaan had gotten better. Even he did. We went out on trips and hunts and you know that mark we defeated last year? The one in the Salika woods that rewarded a most handsome payment?"

"The one that Balthier got into a strop about because you got there before him?"

"Yes. Well…Vaan and I decided to celebrate."

"A drink at the Sandsea?" Basch asked, his voice almost pleading for the young woman to confirm his question with an affirmative nod. Instead she shook her head.

"No! We celebrated….intimately."

"A quiet drink at your home?"

"Basch!!" Penelo was not messing around now, she had gotten over her shyness and straightened in her posture, very much the woman and not a teen. "I'm not even going to pretend to think you don't know what I mean! Vaan and I have been together for four years and we are adults! Sexual intercourse is part of our weekly…."

"Weekly?!" Basch choked and spluttered, which only caused him to hack a bit more before sneezing again. Penelo jumped back in surprise, offering another tissue towards him.

"Sometimes it's daily. When we get the time." she winked. "When we're in the mood!"

"I er……"

Even though his ill paleness, Basch's face managed to turn a little red.

Perhaps she had said too much. Talking about her private life with Vaan probably wasn't what Basch wanted to hear. Yet, she couldn't help but be curious.

"You don't have sex that often then, Basch?" she asked almost teasingly.

His lack of response told her that he did not. Only the deep growl in his hoarse throat, made the young woman continue. She didn't mind teasing him, but there one thing she never wanted to do, and that was make Basch angry.

"Oh…well, anyway…" Penelo patted her knees and put on her more formal voice. "It's only through intercourse that a Hume can contract Bangaan flu from another Hume. Why, I don't know, but a week after Vaan and I were intimate together, I came down with it. I know from experience, first hand experience, how horrible it is. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Aye….thank you." Basch bowed down, dropping his forehead to rest on the edge of his knees. He didn't move from there for sometime, which only made the twenty year old concerned.

"Are you okay, Basch?" she asked, her hand lightly patting at his back… "I didn't freak you out with the whole sex thing, did I?"

"No…" Basch lied, groaning as now his head was spinning with dizziness.

"It's a perfectly natural thing…"

"Penelo, I know that it is but….."

His words were interrupted by an almighty sneeze. Such a sneeze from Basch sent his foot jerking up and upending the table. Penelo watched with a little sadness, as her files flew all over the place and the remainders of the potion smashed to the floor.

Then the young woman cursed herself. Her hand slapped to her forehead as her stupidity dawned on her. Why hadn't she noticed before?

She adjusted the folds of her dress, and then covered her bare legs with the trails of her coat, before shifting closer to Basch. She coughed to clear her throat and then leaned down close to Basch's head.

"Do you think you've gotten Bangaan flu?" she asked, softly.

"Not at all." Basch said, so defensively that it was obviously a lie.

"You…contracted it from Ashe?" She asked again, knowing full well that he had.

"Penelo, Ashe and I would not…"

The slap across the back of his head didn't come with an apology this time. Penelo tutted in a disapproving manner before getting up and fetching another bottle from her cabinet. She handed him the Remedy and when Basch looked up to take it, their eyes met.

It was strange having a staring contest with the High Judge Magister, but to Penelo, there was no backing out. She should have spotted the signs of how he always went to Dalmasca once a month, excited as a schoolboy and how content and happy he would be coming back. He talks of Ashe as his Queen, forever his charge but Penelo could see in his eyes, that he had held her as a lover.

They both glared at each other, neither one refusing to back away from this staring, but eventually Basch's eyes drooped downwards towards the floor.

"So, when did it start?" asked Penelo, smiling and feeling something deep within her surge. She knew that it was excitement and joy that this piece of news was about to be confirmed. In fact so many questions came to mind. "No! Wait…who initiated it?! Was it you? Ashe? What made you suddenly decide to become intimate?!"

"Penelo…"

She patted him on the back.

"It's all right Basch, don't worry about the Bangaan flu, I'm on it! You just drink plenty of Remedies and get bed rest. I'll keep an eye on you and some sleep spells should prevent the rages. I can manage your fever whilst you're asleep and so before then you can tell me all about you and Ashe!"

"You do not need to know the intimates of our…."

"When did you first kiss? What was it like for you? You two are in love, right?"

Basch shook his head, though the gentle smile at the corner of his mouth showed that he could no longer deny anything. He sat back up, his face still pale from the onset of the flu, but expressing a happiness Penelo had seen Vaan express every time they came home to each other.

The smile was as goofy as Vaan's, yet it spoke volumes of how Basch really felt.

"So no one else knows?" asked Penelo flinging her arms around his neck and throttling him. It was only when she felt him gasp, the tell tale sniff of an impending sneeze that she backed away. She let him do his sneezes…four, five in a row…and all thankfully into the numerous tissues she stuffed in his hands before getting up.

"Let's do what's important first." Penelo said as Basch blew his nose. "We've got to get to you back to your quarters, inform Larsa that you won't be returning to duty yet…I'll tell him you've got some stomach bug or something…and you're going to drink plenty of Remedies and…."

"Penelo…."

"And then you can answer all my questions!"

She picked up the helmet from off the floor. She didn't care about the papers and potion still in a mess before her, for she was so excited and thrilled that she had uncovered Basch and Ashe's secret. In fact her jovialness was so high that she forgot what had (by now) pooled at the bottom of Basch's helm.

She went to place it upon him, but Basch was aware. His hand grabbed her wrist and pushed her lightly away. When Penelo saw what she had nearly upended over him, she started laughing.

"Perhaps I should just go and fetch your spare?" she said, giggling still. Her laughter was certainly more infectious than the Bangaa flu, for Basch couldn't help from laughing too.

"Aye…that would be most helpful." He got up from the sofa and stepped over the mess he had caused by upending the table. He sighed, berating himself for not telling someone about his relationship with Ashe. Having someone know, felt better somehow. "Penelo, I would gladly welcome your aid and expertise in helping me through the days ahead. I trust your discretion and your patience. Thank you."

"Not at all, Basch." she said. "What are friends for? You stay here and I'll get your spare helm. Be back in a jiffy."

Penelo reached the door and her hand only placed on the handle when she heard Basch clear his throat. Turning round, she had seen he was on a bended knee, beginning to collect up the papers and broken glass from the floor. But the older man was looking at her with a nervous but pleasant smile; a smile Penelo loved so much from him.

"Penelo, Ashelia and I…we don't have what is considered a normal relationship. We barely meet…one a month, once every two months…whenever we can. But when we do, it is more than anything I have ever felt or experienced. I do love her…more than I'm capable of expressing."

"A relationship is a relationship, Basch." she replied. "If Ashe feels the same as you, as long as you two make the time to see each other, then you do have something wonderful. Carpe Diem, Basch. Seize every day, every opportunity. That's what Vaan told me and that's how we are. Monthly, weekly, or daily…it doesn't matter. Treasure every moment you get."

Her words made his heart soar. He bowed his head and uttered thanks to her.

There was a silence, a long pause before Basch was throttled and nearly knocked to the ground by Penelo's leaping hug. She kissed him on the cheek and then proceeded to hug him as if he was a giant golden furred teddy bear.

"You're welcome, Basch!" she said, when he himself hugged her back. "It's good to have you back!"

"It's good to be….."

The first sneeze cut his words off. The second made Penelo move away and by the time he had finished the sixth; she sighed and got back to her feet.

"I'd better get that helm for you….hadn't I?"

Basch nodded.

"That would be wise."

When the door slammed, Basch sank fully to the floor, his bum unfortunately resting in the wet patch where the potion had spilled. But none of that mattered now.

He had the Bangaan flu. This was going to be tough, but the thought of asking Larsa for some leave…the thought of returning back to Ashe made him grin his biggest yet. Nothing was going to faze him now.

Carpe Diem.

He most certainly would.

Thanks Penelo.


End file.
